


Two Fools

by J_J_Janson



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Fight Scene, M/M, Post-Canon, ylisseweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-14
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2019-03-04 20:58:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13372953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/J_J_Janson/pseuds/J_J_Janson
Summary: Owain feels unready to take his place as the heir to Falchion and as a member of the royal family. But with Inigo at his side, he'll find the confidence he needs.





	Two Fools

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for Ylisse Week 2018, this was for day one with the prompt: blood.

Falchion lay in its sheath, sitting in Owain’s lap. The crumpled note lay on the floor beside his bed. He didn’t know how long he had been staring at the legendary sword. His legendary sword. The one from his own time, one of the few remaining mementoes of a destroyed world that had travelled back in time with him and all of his friends. Owain felt he should stay in character, to march around Ylisstol Castle waving the sword around, and bragging about all the vile demons he would slay with it.

But it just felt so wrong for him to hold it. 

He remembered how it filled his mother with shame that she could not wield the Falchion after Uncle Chrom was killed. How much Lucina struggled to be able to wield it as soon as she possibly could. How quick he had been to return Falchion to Lucina after fixing its hilt and pommel. 

It felt so much heavier than it had then.

Lucina had left, bidding farewell to her friends and loved ones in a lengthy series of notes. Hers to Owain had entrusted him with Falchion as the last survivor of the royal family from their timeline. 

But why would he want Falchion without her?

Owain was sinking deeper into his thoughts, his insecurities and anxieties, like a tar pit inexorably pulling him down. He felt he would drown at any moment.

And then there was a knock at the door.

Owain stayed quiet, hoping whoever was at the door would assume he was out and leave.

There was a sigh on the other side of the door, and Inigo let himself in. “There you are, Owain. We’ve been wondering where you’ve been.”

“So you could come take Falchion away from my unworthy hands?”

Inigo stares at Owain. “What?”

“I mean come on. Why would she give it to me? I’m not a prince. She should’ve left it for her younger self.”

“This timeline’s Lucina has her own Falchion. Lucina felt she could trust you with ours.”

Owain tossed the Falchion, sheath and all, to Inigo. “You can have it. Use it as a decoration or something. I just don’t want it mocking me anymore.” 

Inigo sat down on the bed beside Owain. “Where’s that dramatic bluster you usually put on? Where are your claims that one with the blood of heroes and an aching sword hand can make due with any weapon, without a need for the legendary dragon’s fang?”

Owain stared. “Wow that was pretty good.”

Inigo just stared Owain down until he looked away and returned to the subject. 

“I just can’t bring myself to act like that. Not when I have Falchion in my hands. It’s… I don’t even know. There’s millennia of history behind it. Our own history with it, all the battles we fought where Lucina rallied us with Falchion in hand. Maybe it’s because my mom never got a Brand, and could never wield Falchion no matter how many times she tried.” 

“So what.” Inigo blurted. 

“What?”

“Do you think Lucina felt worthy? She was terrified of this thing. Of the responsibility it came with. But she carried that burden so we didn’t have to. And now she’s entrusted it to you. You believe in Lucina so much, but you don’t trust her judgement?”

That stopped Owain. He looked away. “I do trust her. But…”

“Do you trust me? And the others? We all agreed that, if anything happened to Lucina, we’d do whatever it took to get Falchion to you. Lucina was the one to inherit it. But every single one of us has always believed you were worthy. You can shamelessly babble on with your dramatic monologues, but you turn our attention away from our misery to complain about you. You were always on the front lines, and one of the last to withdraw. You may have acted stupid, but you weren’t one to make a mistake in a fight. We always counted on you. Now we just need you to believe it.”

“Wow, Inigo I…”

Before Owain could say more, an alarm bell started to ring. The bell tolled three times. Risen. 

They had stopped popping up with the same frequency after defeating Grima, but there were still plenty left. And some of them were threatening Ylisstol. 

As Inigo and Owain bolted upright and ran out the door, Owain didn’t even notice he was carrying Falchion to the battlefield with him. 

***

Owain and Inigo had dealt with numerous attacks on Ylisstol in their own time, and were able to get to the walls without breaking a sweat. A mixed force of town guards, palace guards, and Shepherds stood near the entrance. The shambling horde of Risen was within line of site and only minutes away from the city. 

But no one was taking the initiative. 

Owain recognized Stahl, Nah, Gregor, and Sumia amidst the force, but none were the type to lead. 

Inigo slapped Owain on the back so hard that Owain stumbled forward. All eyes turned to him. He was suddenly all too aware of Falchion still clutched in his grip. 

Owain cleared his throat, stalling for time. He could whip out a monologue on a whim, but a real speech to rally troops?

“You’ve got this,” Inigo whispered from behind him. 

“There are Risen at the gates,” was all Owain could think to say at the start. Sharp observation, Owain. “We may have defeated Grima, but the evil of Grima has seeped into our very world, and the efforts to cleanse that evil have only just begun. That's a problem for a lifetime. But this is one we can settle today. We protected the world. Today, we need to protect this city. We’re not letting a single Risen in. We’ll go out there, and defeat them all!” Owain unsheathed Falchion and held it aloft, drawing all eyes towards it. 

Then the cheering began. 

Inigo put an arm around Owain as the assembled troops gathered outside the walls. “Pretty good for a first time. But next time, maybe put that vocabulary of yours to use. All those big words will just make you look smart if you use them in a normal speech.”

“Everyone’s a critic,” Owain mumbled as the two turned to join the city’s defenders. 

***

Inigo danced out of the way of a spear, and Owain rushed in under the spear and cut the Risen down. 

“Thanks Owain,” Inigo said, turning towards his next opponent. 

“You’ve had my back today, my dear friend, so I will return the favor forthwith.” 

Owain swung an overhead slash towards a Risen, Falchion ringing as it struck a steel blade rising to block Owain’s attack. Owain pressed down with his full weight, forcing the Risen to focus its full strength on holding up Falchion.

With the Risen’s attention focused on Owain, Inigo spun around behind the Risen and cut it down.

“We make a good team, do we not, Owain?”

Owain chuckled. “Indeed we do, Inigo. I cannot imagine where I would be without you.”

“Sulking in your room, probably.”

Inigo cut an axe out of the air, interrupting its arc towards Owain. Owain rushed at the axeman, cutting down another Risen. 

Owain grew quiet. “I wouldn’t be here without you, Inigo. Thank you.”

Inigo went to slap Owain on the back, but suddenly felt self-conscious. “Of course. I’ll always be there for you, Owain.”

“For the rest of our lives?” Owain blurted.

Inigo, who had tried and failed at romance countless times, operated purely on instinct trained by years of fantasies, sweeping Owain into his arms, leaning down and planting a kiss on Owain’s lips. 

A spark ran between the two that left them dizzy. It was like fireworks were sent up at the moment their lips touched, and pulling away brought the relief of a summer rain shower. 

As they stood there, realizing their unspoken feelings were reciprocated, they were totally alone for a moment as they gazed into each other’s eyes.

And then they became aware of the applause all around them. 

All of the Risen had been defeated, so the other defenders had simply stood by and watched the show.

A mortified Inigo buried his beet-red face in Owain’s chest to hide from the audience. 

But Owain, ever the showman, embraced the situation with his usual flair for theatrics. Holding up Falchion in one hand, he proudly declared “I am Prince Owain of Ylisse, wielder of the Future Falchion! Nothing can fill me with more pride than the blood of heroes running through my veins, but sharing this beautiful moment with the defenders of the city of Ylisstol comes in a close second place! Thank you for your service!” Owain picked Inigo up in his arms. “And now, we bid you ado.” 

And with that, Owain walked dramatically into the sunset. 

Inigo’s face was as red as the setting sun. “Owain. We can never go back. I can never show my face in Ylisstol after such a display. I’ll be the talk of the town for years!”

Owain laughed. “Oh my dear friend, you don’t have to worry.”

“Really?”

“Oh yes, you were already the talk of the town, I doubt anything has changed. If anything, you might be seen as more respectable than before!”

Inigo groaned dramatically into Owain’s chest. 

Both men were now all too aware they had fallen in love with a fool.


End file.
